Art Pope

James Arthur “Art” Pope

Credentials

Background

Art Pope is the president and vice-chairman of the board of directors for Variety Wholesalers Inc. and president and chairman of the John William Pope Foundation[1].

Pope has closed ties to the Koch Brothers[2]. According to one article[3], Pope is “one of the most trusted members of the Koch's elite circle: He has been a regular invitee to the Koch's secretive, semiannual gathering of the major right-wing donors and activists.” He is also a “valuable junior partner in many key Koch operations.” [2]

Pope also backs the Civitas Institute[9] and its sister group Civitas Action[10]. From 2005 to 2009 the Pope Foundation accounted for 99 percent of the Institute's income. Pope was a founder of Civitas Action, a group that campaigns for climate change skeptics.

Stance on Climate Change

“I think that climate change and global warming represent important public policy and scientific debates. I think the John Locke Foundation is playing an important role in that.” [5]

A 2010 Facing South / Institute for Southern Studies analysis of tax records found that a foundation chaired by Art Pope supplies about 90 percent of the income of leading conservative nonprofits in North Carolina. [9]

As of June 30, 2010, the Pope Foundation had nearly $136.8 million in assets. It has made over $89 million in grants since 1986, including over $9 million in grants made during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010.

A full list of the John William Pope Foundation's contributions is available in public tax forms: (PDF format)

Pope not only funds conservative non-profits but also influences state-level political elections, The New Yorker found[28]. North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue commented that “The Republican agenda in North Carolina is really Art Pope's agenda. He sets it, he funds it, and he directs the efforts to achieve it. The candidates are just fronting for him. There are so many people in North Carolina beholden to Art Pope—it undermines the democratic process.” [10]

October, 2010

Civitas Action, a group which Pope founded and funds, spent $5,750 on mailers targeting North Carolina House Speaker Joe Hackney and Senate leader Marc Basnight, Democrats who have been supportive of efforts to address global warming.